This work addresses the policy, market and sustainability aspects of defining and selecting technologies that will meet the demands for energy services by rural villages in a sustainable and reliable way. It offers a participative approach to the supply of energy services, with a clear emphasis on the need for energy services, putting needs rather than technology first, and advocating that rural people, above all, know what they need and what will work for them. The handbook contains a full survey of energy resources and technologies and covers the issues surrounding the decision-making processes involved, the implementation of energy schemes and an exploration of the policy, market and sustainability issues which are vital to the success of a scheme. The last section contains real case studies, covering projects which meet the energy service needs of rural people across the world today. The book was written as a resource for a series of workshops commissioned by the British Council and the UK Department for International Development, and provided the basis for workshops in countries such as Uganda, Brazil and India. Governmental and non-governmental energy strategists, donors, international and national development agencies, academics and financial institutions for investment policy should find this manual useful.